“Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but whoever takes crooked paths will be found out.” — Proverbs 10:9
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The Auburn-Georgia football game played earlier this season troubled me as a Christian. In full transparency, I have been an Auburn fan since the early 1980s, so I know there are times when my bias on what happened in the game is obvious. But this game revealed in me a greater problem we have in the U.S. in how we approach sports, both as fans and as Christians.
The game itself was filled with questionable officiating, but what happened on that Saturday was not just about one bad call or one missed review. Those are part of the game. In this instance, a clear Auburn touchdown was ruled a fumble. Targeting and roughing the passer calls were debatable and repeated clock stoppages seemed to hand Georgia extra opportunities.
One of the most talked about moments came when Georgia head coach Kirby Smart made what looked exactly like a timeout signal. Officials honored it, but Smart later insisted he was clapping to alert the referees to give back his timeout and not be penalized with a delay of game penalty. Anyone who has seen him actually clap knows the difference, and his actions were completely different as he explained it to the officials. When Smart denied it afterward, that was not just evasive, it was dishonest.
A few weeks earlier, in Auburn’s game against Oklahoma, a player feigned leaving the field to score on a wide-open pass. SEC officials later admitted the play was illegal, and it should have been caught. Yet the Oklahoma coaching staff never corrected it publicly. These may seem like small things in the bigger picture of sports, but the bigger picture is the point: What are we teaching when winning matters more than integrity?
Some may argue that sports are just games, and games have always involved pushing the limits of the rules. There is some truth to that. Baseball once allowed spitballs until the rule changed. Football once tolerated far more contact before pass interference was defined. There is a difference between exploiting a loophole in the rules and outright cheating. But the line matters, and Christians especially ought to know when it is crossed.
We must be honest about what this is: idolatry. It is no different from the ancient Israelites fashioning a golden calf. The object of worship has changed from statues to scoreboards, but the heart problem is the same.
So, what should we do? Fans need to be honest even when it hurts. Coaches should speak truthfully, even when it costs them credibility. Programs should discipline players who cheat, even if it means a game lost.
Winning at all costs is not winning at all. True victory is found in honoring God, even when the scoreboard says we lost. Our children, our culture and our witness depend on it.
— Peter Demos
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